2024 Chinmaya Somnath Summer Camp
The Chinmaya Somnath 2024 Summer Camp offers children a summer filled with excitement and learning guided by Swami Dheerananda. Activities include listening to inspiring stories from the scriptures and their significance and Bhagavad Gita chanting.
For rising 1st to 8th graders as of Sep 2024
Theme: Devi Mahatmyam – Glory of Divine Mother
The Chinmaya Somnath Summer Immersion Camp (SC) offers children a summertime filled with fun and learning led by a strong team of vedanta teachers from all over the world. Some of the activities the children enjoy during the Summer Camp are chanting shlokas and bhajans, inspiring stories from the scriptures, indoor games, dance, outdoor sports, and much more.
June 17, 2024- July 12, 2024
$1400-Early Bird(Until March 15th)
$1600-Regular(March 16th-Until camp starts)
$100 sibling discount(per child)
Registration system is not compatible with mobile devices. To register, please use a laptop or desktop computer.
Stories and their Significance
CMWRC Geeta Chanting Competition Preparation with Swami Dheerananada
Dance & Art
Athletics & Outdoor Sports
Indoor Games with Youth Volunteers
Social time with Camp Students
Guided by
Swami Dheerananda
Swami Dheerananda is an ardent devotee and disciple of Swami Chinmayananda. He was placed as the Resident Vedanta Teacher in Chinmaya Mission Washington Regional Center (CMWRC) by Swami Chinmayananda in the year 1989. Swami Dheerananda is the last disciple directly initiated into Sannyasa by Swami Chinmayananda, receiving Sannyasa Diksha on May 23, 1993. Today, he oversees and guides the activities of CMWRC.
Camp Location
Chinmaya Somnath, 4350 Blue Spring Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151.
Camp Dates and Timings
June 17, 2024 -July 12 ,2024
8:45 AM to 4:45 PM, Monday through Friday.
Drop off time: 8:30 AM to 8:45 AM.
Pick up time: 4:45 PM – 5:30 PM.
Children must be picked up promptly.
A late fee will be assessed if children are not picked up in a timely manner.
Camp Finale
There will be a camp finale on the last Friday of the camp.
Camp Procedure for absences, late drop-off, and early pick-up
Facility Doors will remain locked from 8:45 am to 4:40 pm. If you need to drop your child off or pick your child up between these times, you must call the summer camp number so that someone can let you in.
Please remember to sign your child in and out daily.
Occasionally you may find it necessary to pick up your child from camp before the end of the regular camp day. On such days you must send an email to summercamp@chinmayasomnath.org for the camp sevaks to make arrangements for your child to be let out of their respective activities.
PLEASE NOTE: Once chanting begins at 4:00 PM, your child will not be pulled out of the chanting session until it is complete. Please contact the camp sevaks to arrange for early pickup before 4:00 PM.
Absences : Email summercamp@chinmayasomnath.org
Dress Code
- Students are required to wear the camp T-shirt daily. Three T-shirts will be provided as part of the registration. Additional T-shirts can be purchased if necessary. For sizing guide, go to the T-shirts section of the registration details tab.
- Shorts and skirts must be longer and come up to the knees.
- Leggings must be worn underneath skirts.
- Closed toed shoes must be worn.
What to bring to Camp
- Yoga Towel: A towel with the name of the child must be brought on the first day of camp for yoga. This towel will be stored at the school for the duration of the camp.
- Spout Water Bottle: All children must bring a water bottle with a spout to camp. This is especially important as the children will spend time outdoors. All bottles must be labeled with the child’s name.
- Lunch and snacks: Please see food policy/restrictions below. Please label all your child’s belongings including lunch bags and containers with their name.
- Extra clothing for Grade 1 and 2 camp students: Please send a change of clothes in a Ziploc bag with their name on the bag and each individual item.
What not to bring to Camp
- Due to storage/space constraints please do not send any additional bags/backpacks to camp.
- Camp students are not permitted to carry/use cell phones and mobile communication devices. Use of such devices is restricted and any violation will result in the confiscation of the device.
Food policy/restrictions
- Prayer before Meal: Children will be asked to pray before lunch. Parents are advised to follow the same practice at home before each meal.
- Each child will bring his/her own nut-free, egg-free, gelatin-free, vegetarian lunch, which does not require any heating.
- Two nut-free, egg-free, gelatin-free, vegetarian snacks must also be brought from home.
- All beverages including water in a bottle with a spout must be provided.
- Lunch and snacks will be provided on Fridays
Hygiene, Behavior Expectations and Responsibility
- CMWRC has established procedures for proper hand washing and these procedures will be implemented during the camp. Additional COVID-19 related policies will be shared prior to camp
- Camp students are responsible for their actions.
- Respect: Camp students must respect themselves, other camp students, youth volunteers and adults. They must also be respectful of camp equipment, facilities, and the environment.
- Caring and Cooperation: Camp students will show kindness to their fellow camp students and adults and abide by camp rules.
- Honesty: Honesty will be the basis of all camp interactions.
Registration
All applications for the summer camp should be submitted online. The date on which you complete your registration online, including authorization of the first installation will be considered your date of registration.
Camp Fees, Installment Plan & Deposit
- Camp Fees:
- Early Bird Registration: $1400 (until March 15th)
- Regular Registration: $1600 (From March 16th – until camp start date)
- $100 sibling discount( per child)
- Parent Time Contribution Security Deposit: $250
- Note: Summer camp could be considered for Child Care Credit Form 2441.Please consult your tax adviser for eligibility.
Payment Method
- E-check (ACH) with no additional processing fees.
- Pay by credit card with a processing fee of 3% of the total due amount that will be charged to the member.
Admissions
Register early! We only admit full-time (four weeks) participants. Chinmaya Mission reserves the right to accept or reject admission requests based on certain established internal criteria. Admission decisions will be finalized and communicated via email. No further appeals will be entertained on admission decisions.
Camp T-Shirts
Camp students are required to wear their camp t-shirt every day. Each student will receive three t-shirts. Please use this sizing guide to select the right T-shirt size at the time of registration.
| Sizes | Width | Length (in) | Sleeve Center Back (in) |
| Youth-XS | 16 | 20.5 | 13.5 |
| Youth-S | 17 | 22 | 14.5 |
| Youth-M | 18 | 23.5 | 15.5 |
| Youth-L | 19 | 25 | 16.5 |
| Youth-XL | 20 | 26.5 | 17.5 |
| Adult-S | 18 | 28 | 15.63 |
| Adult-M | 20 | 29 | 17 |
| Adult-L | 22 | 30 | 18.5 |
| Adult-XL | 24 | 31 | 20 |
Picture Guidelines
Uploading a picture of your child is required to complete the Summer Camp registration. The purpose of the picture is to help Swamiji, and the camp teachers associate your child’s name and face during the camp
Please find below some guidelines to help you upload the picture.
- Format: JPG, GIF, or PNG format
- Picture Size: At Least 200 x 200 pixels and picture size should not exceed 1MB.
- Clarity: The picture must show your child’s face clearly. Pictures that have other people, are blurry/unclear, do not have enough lighting or are too close are not acceptable.
- Source of Picture: If your kids are in FCPS or LCPS, you can download the picture from the school SIS (Student Information System) portal and upload that.
Camp Student Health Information
- All the Health, Allergy, Insurance and Doctor Information must be provided for each child enrolled at the Summer Camp during the time of registration. All known allergies should be disclosed and the necessary medications provided to the camp coordinator.
- If the child or a member of the child’s family is exposed to COVID, please report such exposures to the camp coordinator immediately.
- Parents must indemnify CMWRC from all liabilities resulting from non-disclosure of medical condition and allergies of the child and/or not providing the necessary medication to the camp coordinator. The online registration process requires parents to confirm all of the above details.
Camper Rules and Waiver Policy Form
Waiver policy form and camp student rules form will be made available at the time of registration.
Medication Authorization Form
A completed Medication Authorization Form must be submitted for each medication that is stored on campus during the camp. The medication must be provided to the camp coordinator on the orientation day and/or the first day of camp.
- For Virginia State –
- Loudoun County
- Withdrawal on or before May 1, 2024: A refund of the Paid Amount minus a $100 administrative fee/per child will be issued.
- Withdrawal after May 1, 2024, and before May 31, 2024: Parents will receive a refund of 50% of the total camp fee per child.
- No camp fee refund issued on or after June 1, 2024.
- Authorized mandatory parent time contribution volunteer deposit of $250 will be canceled upon withdrawal or cancellation.
- Paid mandatory parent volunteer deposit during registration will be refunded upon withdrawal or cancellation.
- No refund is issued on a child’s suspension from the camp due to violating any camp policies.
- In the event of any modified policies/dates by the summer camp organizer, a refund of the paid amount will be issued.
** Mandatory parent volunteer slot selection opens on May 1, 2024. A detailed email will be sent to the primary email address on the file.**
The summer camp is run entirely by volunteers. To aid the volunteers, each family is required to contribute time on one day.
As part of the registration process, a $250 Parent Time Contribution Deposit will be authorized. This deposit will be activated for payment ONLY if the time contribution is not fulfilled by the end of the camp.
During registration, If a parent opts out of the mandatory parent time contribution, a payment of $250 will be charged.
Several dates will be given at the time of the parent volunteer sign-up selection. Volunteer sign-up slots are for a total of 8 hours. Individual slots vary in length as below.
- One day – 8 hours
- Two days – 4 hours /per day
- Four days – 2 hours/per day
Shri Arvind Bhagwat
Under the guidance of Swami Dheerananda and Vilasini Balakrishnan, Medha Ji has been actively involved in various activities of CMWRC since 1988. She took early retirement from her active scientific careers in 2017 and embarked on the next phase in her life by moving to Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai, and get formal systematic Vedanta training in the 2-year long residential course. Arvind Ji returned to continue to serve Gurudev at CMWRC.
Shrimati Medha Bhagwat
Under the guidance of Swami Dheerananda and Vilasini Balakrishnan, Medha Ji has been actively involved in various activities of CMWRC since 1988. She took early retirement from her active scientific careers in 2017 and embarked on the next phase in her life by moving to Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, Powai, Mumbai, and get formal systematic Vedanta training in the 2-year long residential course.
Medha Bhagwat is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Chinmaya Blossoms Pre-School program. She has recently started the Shishu Vihar program.
Shri Vijay Kumar
Vijay Kumar is a member of Chinmaya Mission Washington DC since 1987. Met Gurudev in 1973 in Mumbai. In 1982 he moved to Dubai and he started attending Geetha study groups there and became a key Sevak in organizing Gurudev’s yajna in Dubai, in 1986, also for Gurudev’s camp in Washington DC in the years 1988 and 1989.
Shri Suresh Ramakrishnan
Like many families, Suresh Ramakrishnan’s introduction to Chinmaya Mission occurred in 2008, when his son was set to attend Bala Vihar. In that same year, he found inspiration in the third chapter of the Bhagavad-Geeta during a lecture by Vijay Kumarji and subsequently took an active role in the Chinmaya Mission.
Volunteering as a Youth Counselor at the Chinmaya Mission Summer Camp is a fun and rewarding experience involving various tasks and responsibilities.
Selection Criteria
- This program is only open to applicants who are currently enrolled in a Chinmaya Mission Bala Vihar Program.
- Age Requirement: Applicants must be rising 9th graders or above.
- Application Submission: Applicants must submit a completed Youth Volunteer Application before 11:59 PM on April 14, 2024.
- Essay Submission: Every applicant must submit an essay, which should be submitted during the registration process.
These essays will be submitted to the Chinmaya Smrithi Newsmagazine. - Interview: All applicants must sign up for an interview. The signup details will be sent via email. Interview dates are as follows.
- Date: Friday, April 19, 2024
- Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024
- Date: Friday, April 26, 2024
- Application Decision: When the selection decision is made, the applicants will receive an email notification from the Chinmaya Somnath Summer Camp Team. The selected applicants will then sign the Volunteer Agreement and Code of Conduct. The volunteer then must attend the mandatory Youth Volunteer training session. Failure to attend the session will result in the forfeiture of the position to another wait-listed applicant.
*The decision of the Mission is final, and no further appeals will be entertained.*
Mandatory Training Sessions
- Must attend one
- Parents will be required to attend for 30 minutes
- Dates: Sunday, 5/19, from 3 to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 6/1, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Required qualifications and conditions for Youth Counselors Expectations
- Exemplify the Chinmaya Mission Pledge.
- Ability to act as a good role model for all the Camp children.
- Honor the dates once they have been committed to and accepted.
- Be punctual.
- Dress appropriately to set an example for the children.
- Wear the volunteer uniform that will be provided.
- Serve other children before serving oneself.
- Follow instructions from teachers and other senior volunteers.
- Outside private calls and Internet use are not permitted.
- Ability to accept challenges.
- Be friendly and helpful.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Exhibit leadership qualities.
- Must Attend one mandatory Youth Volunteer training
Duties for Youth Counselors
- Class assistant—help class for the whole day.
- Act as counselor and mentor for students whenever required.
- Solve disputes between children to the extent you can handle. Cases that require the intervention of teachers/coordinator/director should be brought to their attention.
- Responsible for the safety of the childrens’ group allotted to you throughout the day.
- Supervise children during lunch time and supervise their cleaning of the area after lunch.
- Serve snacks to children.
- Help organize games and other sports for children.
- Telephone and front desk coverage.
- Promote a fun, positive, and inspiring camp experience for all.
The general camp day is from 8:30 am-4.45 pm , five days a week for four weeks. Please direct any questions to summercamp@chinmayasomnath.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Coming soon!